2009 Bike Across America

Update 4/28

2009-04-30T00:17:27Z

Day #67
Today: Port Jervis, NY, to West Point, NY (48 miles)
Total miles: 3651
Tomorrow (plan): Rest Day (trip completed !!)

Yesterday, I contacted LTC Mike Stoneham, Officer-in-Charge of the West Point Cadet Cycling Team, and he informed me that some of the cadets would like to ride out to meet us and accompany us on our final leg of the trip to West Point, assuming their class schedules would permit. We decided that we needed to be on the road earlier than usual in order to try and mesh with the cadets' schedules. We departed the motel after breakfast at 7:30 AM, and the temperature was already in the low 70s. The forecast was for another day in the 90s, and we heated up immediately as we climbed the steep four-mile grade from along the Delaware River where Port Jervis is located. The route included some fairly short stretches on major roads with heavy traffic, but most of it was through the picturesque countryside and small towns located along US 6 in the area east of Port Jervis. We stopped in the town of Monroe for lunch, and I left a phone message for Mike to advise him of our location and progress. After lunch, we encountered another long, steep section of US 6 before the turn-off for West Point. Since this was the hottest part of the day, we stopped a couple of times during the climb to rest in the shade and cool off. There was a little bit of a breeze, so Susan poured water on both of us to act as natural air-conditioning, and it worked wonders. Mike returned my call and we both concluded that the tandem was making better time than expected. He was attempting to get the cadets who were available to meet us on the road, so we agreed that we would just keep on pedaling. When we were within a mile or so of the gate, we were met by Danielle Sweet of the Association of Graduates, and she took some pictures of our arrival. Shortly thereafter we were met by Cadets Alex Krienke and Derek Merkler, both Firstclassmen (seniors) and members of the Cycling Team. We paused at the gate for some more photos and then continued to ride on to Cullum Hall where we were met by Mike, and another Firstclass member of the Cadet Cycling Team, Cadet Courtney Rehwoldt. The group presented Cycling Team jerseys to both of us, and this certainly was a pleasant surprise and an honor. We then rode to the hotel just outside the gate in the town of Highland Falls, and Susan was able to walk to a local beauty shop for a haircut. Now we both have our shaggy manes ready for the 50th reunion activities which start Thursday afternoon. If the weather forecast is correct, we will ride the tandem to the reunion hotel in NJ, and turn it in at a local bike shop for shipping. The reunion activities will be completed by Sunday noon, and we will fly from Newark to LA on Sunday evening. It has been a great adventure and one we will always remember.

Additional information: I am writing this on 4/29, and we learned today that Cadet Courtney Rehwoldt was hurt in a bicycle accident yesterday after we met her. The Cycling Team was conducting time trials along the same road on which we rode into West Point, and during her time trial she hit a goose which quickly and unexpectedly appeared on the course, causing her to crash. Previously yesterday we had seen geese as we were pedaling toward the gate. She is in the hospital with a concussion and contusions; however, I talked with Mike Stoneham who was en route to visit her, and he told me the hospital reported that she was improving rapidly. Obviously our thoughts and prayers are with her.

We want to thank Courtney Sweet, Kim McDermott, and Gail Yeaple, all of the Association of Graduates, for providing photos and transmitting photos that had been taken at West Point and earlier in our trip.

Update 4/27

2009-04-30T00:16:56Z

Day #66
Today: Riverton, PA, to Port Jervis, NY (59 miles)
Total miles: 3603
Tomorrow (plan): West Point, NY

More unseasonably hot weather was forecast for today, and it was obvious from early in the morning that the temperature would climb into the 90s again. The restaurant is closed on Mondays, so before departing at 9:00 AM we had some of the fruit we normally carry with us, planning to eat breakfast in the next town along the route. Just ten miles down the road we had a good breakfast at a great price, went across the street to replenish our fruit supply at the market, and were on the road again. We crossed the Delaware River into New Jersey, entered the Delaware River Gap National Recreation Area, and then began a day that would see us climb lots of hills. I don't think we have had a day with so many steep hills. The scenery was beautiful, and it is interesting to see how the river has cut its way through the area, leaving very rugged terrain. In the summer, there is probably more traffic, but we had very little as we crept up some of the steeper hills. There were no restaurants, markets, or convenience stores within the National Recreation Area, so we managed with the food we were carrying. We were consuming lots of water because of the heat, and we were about to run out when we came to the town of Layton at about 5:30 PM. We stopped at the local restaurant to refill our water bottles and eat a sandwich, and then we were on our way, hoping to make it to Port Jervis before dark. Luckily, the last fifteen miles was mostly level, and we found a motel at 7:30 PM, just as visibility was getting poor. We ate fruit and energy bars, had our showers, and went to bed right away, since we wanted to be on the road early in the morning.

Update 4/26

2009-04-30T00:15:45Z

Day #65
Today: Ambler, PA, to Riverton, PA (61 miles)
Total miles: 3544
Tomorrow (plan): Port Jervis, NY

The temperature yesterday was in the low 90s, and the forecast for today was for more of the same. Cait and Bill were up and around the house fairly early getting things ready, not only breakfast, but they were going to ride their tandem and accompany us for the first part of our day's ride. Since they're cyclists, they know what cyclists need for breakfast, and Cait did a great job in providing a delicious and nourishing meal. We had decided to ride on PA 611, and last night Bill had given me a virtual ride on the computer along that route. We departed this morning at 8:30 AM, and they rode along to help us get to PA 611 as easily as possible. We saw several cyclists, and we commented that we had seen more cyclists since we entered Pennsylvania than we had seen on the rest of the entire trip. Of course, the warm weekend weather contributed to this, but Bill and Cait confirmed that there are a lot of active cyclists and cycling clubs in the area. After getting us near our planned route, they headed off on their own ride and we headed north. Part of the route was through small towns, and part was along country roads through farming and dairy country. Our destination was a small town that had a restaurant and hotel right by the Delaware River, the only one in town. The restaurant turned out to be a great choice, but the hotel left much to be desired. It consoled us to know that we only had a couple of more nights when we'd be forced to spend the night in the only hotel in town.

Update 4/25

2009-04-30T00:15:21Z

Day # 64
Today: Kennett Square, PA, to Ambler, PA (39 miles)
Total miles: 3483
Tomorrow (plan): Riverton, PA

Jane bid us farewell at about 9:45 AM after providing a tasty, substantial breakfast. By that time, it was obvious the weather predictions were accurate, as it was heating up rapidly. The first part of the route to West Chester was on winding country roads through farming country, and we thoroughly enjoyed the ride. We entered the town of Paoli near lunch time and first considered going into a shop that featured sandwiches made with bagels; however, the waiting line was too long, so we decided to go next door to a pizza shop. Great decision: excellent pizza, great salad, and we even gave in to sharing a mouth-watering piece of cheese cake with a chocolate topping. When we continued our pedaling, we discovered that finding your way in the area is definitely a challenge. While looking for Upper Gulph Road, we encountered several Gulph Roads (Old Gulph, New Gulph, South Gulph, etc.), stopped frequently to look at the map, and asked anyone we could find before finally locating the correct route. The area is also a challenge because of the abrupt, steep hills. I have heard cyclists say that riding in the eastern part of the country is a really tough, and now I can understand why. We both regret that we don't have more time to spend in this historic area, but we probably would have had to leave from California in January or December in order to be able to explore all the areas we have traveled through. We arrived at the home of Bill and Cait Ruhling, Warm Showers hosts who live in Ambler, and we didn't realize how lucky we were to have asked them to host us. First, they are tandem riders. Cait loves to cook, and she prepares delicious, different dishes. Bill is a consultant who works with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, so he is very familiar with routes in the area. We had an excellent roast beef dinner, with a wide selection of vegetables, topped off with ice cream and home-made cookies. Bill gave me some suggestions about a route, and then we were ready for bed.

Update 4/24

2009-04-29T22:30:46Z

Day # 63
Today: Bel Air, MD, to Kennett Square, PA (54 miles)
Total miles: 3444
Tomorrow (plan): Ambler, PA

Ed was up and about fairly early, since he was going to be working on a Habitat for Humanity house today. We were able to have breakfast and see him off before getting the tandem loaded and ready to go, but we had a daunting task looming before us: locating, buying, writing, and mailing post cards about Maryland before leaving the state. I believe we have mentioned that Susan has decided to mail an appropriate post card to each of our two young granddaughters in each of the states we travel through. The word appropriate is the kicker here: the card must provide information about the state, and finding such cards can be a challenge. We said goodbye to Lee at about 9:30 AM, but by the time the completed post cards were safely mailed, it was time for lunch. We ate at a fast food restaurant and finally headed out of Bel Air at about 12:30 PM. It was great weather for cycling, and the route took us through the beautiful countryside in that area of Maryland and Pennsylvania. The terrain was a repeat of the roller-coasters we had most recently encountered in Virginia, so it was apparent we were going to be considerably late in arriving at our destination. I called Jane Irwin, our Warm Showers host, to tell her of our situation and to get some directions, and we finally pulled up at her home at about 6:30 PM. Jane treated us to some chili, corn bread, and salad; all delicious. She had made a cross-country bike tour some years before, and we enjoyed exchanging stories. It was also interesting to hear that her daughter had called earlier in the day to tell Jane she had seen us pedaling through Baltimore in the area of the Johns Hopkins medical buildings. We listened to the weather report that predicted a near record-breaking heat wave for the next few days and went to bed fairly early.

Update 4/23

2009-04-29T22:25:23Z

Day #62
Today: Linthicum, MD, to Bel Air, MD (38 miles)
Total miles: 3390
Tomorrow (plan): Kennett Square, PA

We had a good breakfast, Barb went off on her way to a school conference, and Butch gave us some pointers about getting through Baltimore. When we departed at 9:30 AM, it was pretty good cycling weather: clear and cool, but with enough wind to be annoying. After listening to a strange noise coming from the tandem for a few miles, we pulled over and I discovered I had made a truly bone-head mistake after cleaning and lubricating the chain last night. In the dim light and the rush to get in for dinner, I had not threaded it properly. This meant that I had to disconnect a link, re thread the chain properly, and reconnect the link. This took longer than I had anticipated, but everything worked out well. We negotiated our way right through the middle of Baltimore without any problems and arrived at the beautiful new home of my classmate Ed Stauch and his wife, Lee, at about 3:30 PM. We were stationed together at the University of Delaware back in the early 60s while Ed and I were doing graduate work. After talking about old times and washing our biking clothes, we got cleaned up and went out to a local Italian restaurant for a delicious dinner. Then it was back to find that their beagle, Sam, had been lured upstairs by the smell of some energy bars in a bag I had forgotten to close. The bars had a few chocolate chips in them, but, thankfully, they were not solid chocolate, since a substantial amount of chocolate can be fatal to a dog. Sam appeared to be no worse for the episode, so we went to bed, looking forward to entering Pennsylvania tomorrow.

Update 4/22

2009-04-27T22:42:05Z

Day #61
Today: Rest day #7, Linthicum, MD (0 miles)
Total miles: 3352
Tomorrow (plan): Bel Air, MD

Today was a day to catch up on lots of things. First, I made a trip to the library to use a computer and update our journal; then I went to a local barbershop to get a long overdue haircut; and finally, I decided to do some work on the tandem. The set of tires I put on in Tyler, TX (1,754 miles ago) are wearing thin, although we have not had a single flat since putting them on the bike. For good measure, I decided to put on two new tires, and the chain and other parts of the drive train were in need of cleaning and lubrication, especially after our recent rides in the rain and mud. All that took up a good portion of the day. Barb prepared a delicious dinner for the four of us, and we enjoyed good conversation during the meal. In fact we stayed up talking too late, but it was great fun getting together with our friends. Tomorrow we're supposed to have clear weather, and it will be a short day for a change.

Update 4/21

2009-04-27T22:41:37Z

Day #60
Today: Alexandria, VA, to Linthicum, MD (53 miles)
Total miles: 3299
Tomorrow (plan): Rest day #7 in Linthicum, MD

As we departed after breakfast at about 10:30 AM, we were expecting fair weather in the morning, with the possibility of thundershowers later in the day. The Mt. Vernon Trail runs through Alexandria, so we got on it right away. We had traveled on it yesterday from Mount Vernon to Alexandria, but we were so miserable from the terrible weather that we failed to appreciate how nice it is. We crossed over into the District of Columbia and spent some time taking pictures of the monuments, the White House, and the Capitol. We walked the tandem most of the time because of the large crowds, even though some of the routes in that part of DC are listed as bike routes. We managed to stay on bike routes as we departed DC and crossed over into Maryland, but it was rush hour by that time. Many of the roads had wide, paved shoulders; but needless to say, it was fairly nerve-wracking as we challenged the cars and trucks for space on those narrow roads with no shoulders. We finally came to the bike path that runs around Baltimore Washington International Airport and were able to feel much safer on the last leg of our trip to Linthicum. However, the weather had deteriorated, and the ugly black clouds told us we were in for some more rain. Just as we arrived at our final destination at 7:00 PM, the rain came. We are staying at the home of Butch and Barb Young, college classmates of Susan and good friends. Susan, a native Marylander, had been anticipating going out to have crab cakes when we arrived in Maryland, so that was the plan. It was so late that we kept on our bike clothes when we went to the restaurant. It's a casual place, and my tight shorts did not draw as much attention as they did in West Texas, but there were some stares. After an excellent meal, we sat around talking, probably for too long since Barb has to get up and teach tomorrow, her 48th year as a high school English teacher.

Update 4/20

2009-04-27T22:41:14Z

Day #59
Today: Fredericksburg, VA, to Alexandria, VA (83 miles)
Total miles: 3299
Tomorrow (plan): Linthicum, MD

Miserable weather for the entire day – that's about the best I can say. It was raining when we awoke, and it continued to rain while we got ready, had breakfast, and were transported in the van back to the coffee shop in the center of Fredericksburg. We departed at about 8:00 AM after donning all our rain gear and preparing ourselves for the long ride to Alexandria. Of course, putting on our magic rain jackets is supposed to make the rain stop, but it certainly didn't work this time. The temperature was in the low 50s, and as we rode we also got a bit chilled. The rain came down hard most of the morning, and when it slacked off a bit, it was only for a short time. The three of us rode together until about noon, at which time I think Bob began to appreciate my assessment that it is hard for a single bike rider to poke along with a fully loaded tandem, so we parted ways. It finally stopped raining at about 5:30 PM, but we were thoroughly soaked. In fact, this was one of those soakings when you can wring water out of your socks. It was also one of those times when you discover that when the word "rain proof" is used to describe a garment, there is probably some fine print somewhere you should have read. After experiencing considerable difficulty finding part of the recommended Adventure Cycling Association route near Ft. Belvoir, VA, we finally arrived in Alexandria at about 7:30 PM. John Wilson, a West Point classmate and roommate, and his wife Sharyn hosted us for the evening, and we had a very enjoyable time over dinner talking about old times, our children, and the bike ride.

Update 4/19

2009-04-27T22:40:50Z

Day #58
Today: Glenn Allen, VA, to Fredericksburg, VA (67 miles)
Total miles: 3216
Tomorrow (plan): Alexandria, VA

The weather forecast last night and this morning called for the possibility of rain (it didn't happen), so we weren't surprised at the overcast sky. The weather was great for cycling. Irv demonstrated his outstanding culinary skills while preparing an excellent dish for breakfast, and we were on our way by 9:00 AM. Our route took us through the winding back roads north and east of Richmond, and we were definitely seeing some of the beautiful horse country in the area. It's a part of the country which has seen so much of America's history, and we can understand why people love it so much. There were no restaurants along the route, and we considered ourselves lucky to find a convenience store in Cedon, VA. We tried some barbeque sandwiches for lunch and were pleasantly surprised at the quality, since we're not sure this area is noted for that particular food. I had heard that US 1 is not a recommended bicycle route in this area, so shortly after leaving Glenn Allen we joined a route prepared by Adventure Cycling Association (ACA), an organization that promotes touring by bicycle and designs bike routes. Part of the time we also found ourselves on US Bike Route 1, a route I was not able to find out much about when I was researching for the trip. We had arranged to meet Bob Weekley, a classmate who is cycling to West Point from his home in Virginia as a fund raiser for a non-profit boys and girls club in his area. Bob's wife Elaine had driven over in their van prepared to take us to the nearby home of another classmate, Carl Groth, and his wife Chris. The Groths were out of town, but they had opened up their home to us for the evening. We met Bob and Elaine at a coffee shop in the center of Fredericksburg at about 5:30 PM, and I had doubts about being able to put the tandem, Bob's single bike, and the four of us in the van. Not to worry; we were even able to close the rear door, and off we went. After nice warm showers we went to a local restaurant, then returned to the beautiful and comfortable Groth home for a very restful evening.

Update 4/18

2009-04-27T22:39:19Z

Day #57
Today: Chesterfield, VA, to Glenn Allen, VA (37 miles)
Total miles: 3149
Tomorrow (plan): Glenn Allen, VA, to Fredericksburg, VA

We spent the first part of the morning talking with Tom, Ann, and Sam as we ate breakfast, and then we started pedaling at about 10:30 AM. It was a clear, warm morning, and it heated up as the day progressed. The ride across Richmond didn't turn out to be as daunting as we had feared, thanks to the recommended revisions to our route. It always pays to consult the locals about a route. We continued to see beautiful dogwood trees, and now we are beginning to see more red bud trees. In Georgia we thought we had seen the "mother of all magnolias," but Ann told us about another one along our route into Richmond. We checked it out, and we think it may definitely challenge the one in Georgia. The magnolias are not in bloom yet, but we have seen some huge trees on this trip. We arrived in Glenn Allen at 4:00 PM at the home of Irv Broocke, a West Point classmate, and his wife Phyllis. After talking about old times (we were assigned together in the Army at Ft. Leavenworth, KS, and Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD) we sat down to the great meal Phyllis had prepared. She is a member of a cooking group, and she loves to try new recipes; she definitely picked some good ones for this meal. After working on some journal updates and looking at the weather forecast, we called it a day.

Update 4/17

2009-04-27T22:38:35Z

Day #56
Today: Blackstone, VA, to Chesterfield, VA (46 miles)
Total miles: 3112
Tomorrow (plan): Chesterfield, VA, to Glenn Allen, VA

This morning we awoke to another clear day, but there was very little wind and it was not as cold as yesterday. After breakfast at a local restaurant we started out at about 9:00 AM on our day's journey along the winding country roads of Virginia. There was very little traffic on the roads I had selected, so the lack of a paved shoulder didn't present much of a problem and we made good time. Along one of the back roads, we encountered a group of five dogs that apparently decided we had invaded their territory, so they came out after us with vigor. The leader, a large black dog, seemed to be serious about catching up with us, and there was no way we were going to outrun him. I stopped the tandem, turned, and yelled at the pack, and this caused a couple of the dogs to at least slow down. Then Susan let out a shrill blast on the whistle we have been saving up for such a situation, and that did the trick. The leader stopped, and the other dogs followed suit. We had wondered if the whistle would be effective in a situation like this, and now we have confidence that it will be. We arrived in Chesterfield at the beautiful home of my West Point classmate Tom Russell and his wife Ann at 3:00 PM, so this was one of the shorter rides of our trip. We were ready for a short day after averaging almost 75 miles per day since our last rest day. We were pleased to meet one of the Russell's two sons, Sam, an Army Lieutenant Colonel who just recently returned from Iraq and is en route to move his family from Savannah, GA, to Ft. Lee, VA. We also met one of their two daughters, Lillian, her husband, and their son who is going to Clemson next year on a baseball scholarship. Ann treated the whole crowd to a delicious meal, quite a feat in itself. I got some suggestions about how to revise tomorrow's planned route across Richmond, and we then called it a night.

Update 4/16

2009-04-27T22:38:07Z

Day #55
Today: Henderson, NC, to Blackstone, VA (76 miles)
Total miles: 3066
Tomorrow (plan): Chesterfield, VA

Last night, I used the computer in the hotel business center to update our journal entries; but I was unable to finish, so I got up early to complete the task. This put us a little behind schedule, and our route for the day had become a little bit longer yesterday when we decided to go to Henderson rather than Warrenton. Bottom line: from the beginning we knew today was going to be a long day. We left at 10:00 AM after breakfast at the motel, and there was not a cloud in the sky. However, there was a strong, cold north wind of about 15 - 20 mph with gusts up to at least 30 mph, and this blew directly in our faces for the entire day. After we had pedaled for about an hour we stopped at a convenience store, and I happened to glance at the odometer; it read 3000 miles, the last time on this trip that we'll see triple zeros. Our route took us along part of US Bike Route 1, including the impressive dam at Kerr Reservoir. As we encountered more rolling hills and the wind continued to blow, we started to wonder if we could make it to Blackstone before dark. We had learned there was a motel in a town about 12 miles before Blackstone, so we knew we could stop there if necessary. When we got into that town and found the motel, Susan assumed her normal duties as chief motel room inspector. Both rooms she inspected failed to meet her standards, so she announced that we would have to press on to Blackstone. It was 7:15 PM by that time, and I was afraid we would not be able to get there before dark. In spite of my protestations, she decreed that if it got dark we would "stealth camp" in a pasture by the road rather than stay in the motel. Having learned from almost fifty years of marriage that "yes, dear" is the answer that seems to cover all situations, I wholeheartedly agreed and off we went. Luckily, there were only about two other challenging hills in the next 12 miles, and we were able to make it to Blackstone by 8:00 PM, just as it was getting dark. We found a motel that met the inspector's standards, went to the nearby Pizza Hut for a late dinner, and then retired for the evening.

Update 4/15

2009-04-27T22:37:44Z

The infamous April 15th arrived, and we celebrated by pedaling some 70-plus miles in North Carolina. Jennifer served up an excellent breakfast for us, and we were on our way by 9:00 AM. I had decided to change our route and go to Henderson, NC, instead of Warrenton, NC, because of the availability of motels, and Don had helped with figuring out the route. The forecast included more rain, and that proved to be accurate. The downpour was fairly light, so we only put on our magic rain jackets, and that proved to be enough to stop the rain after an hour or so. I was not exactly sure what the ambient temperature was, but I estimate it was in the low to mid 50s. We encountered a head wind of 10 - 15 mph, so we were chilled during our ride for most of the day. Later in the afternoon we stopped for a cup of hot coffee which warmed us up for the remainder of the trip. We continued to admire the beautiful dogwoods, the NC state flower, and the wild wisteria which adorns many of the trees along the highway. We arrived in Henderson at 7:00 PM, found a motel, and had a quick dinner at McDonalds before retiring.

Update 4/14

2009-04-27T22:37:10Z

Day #53
Today: Pinebluff, NC to Cary, NC (76 miles)
Total miles: 2917
Tomorrow (plan): Henderson, NC

Last night's weather forecast for the area called for rain during the afternoon, and it was overcast as we departed Pinebluff at 9:00 AM. The rain came a little earlier than expected and it was a much harder downpour than we experienced yesterday. We ducked under the overhang of an auto repair shop along the way, hoping to wait it out. After about an hour, we put on our full complement of rain gear, including booties, determined to get on our way. It was probably only thirty minutes later that the rain stopped, the sun came out, and we were too hot in all our gear. So, it was off with the rain gear, pack it away, and start pedaling again. A couple of hours later the rain came again, and we repeated the same routine. We decided that the way to avoid the rain is to put on all our rain gear. This is somewhat similar to washing your car to make sure it rains. The route was a circuitous one, primarily on US 1, but one necessitating many detours because there are sections of US 1 on which bicycles are not allowed. We arrived in Cary, NC, at the home of West Point classmate and company mate Don Gruschow and his wife Jennifer at 7:00 PM, considerably later than what we had planned, but we chalked it up to a rain delay. As former Pan Am employees (pilot and flight attendant) they could relate to that. Azaleas and dogwood are abundant in both the front and back yards of their beautiful home, and they did all the landscaping themselves. Of course there were the discussions about "old times" as we enjoyed the delicious meal Jennifer had prepared. Sue was able to do the laundry and I had the opportunity for a little work on their computer before it was time to call it a day.